Issues That Occur During The Industrial Revolution

Another issue that emerged during the industrial Revolution was the high levels of child labour. Children as young as 5 years of age worked in the factories and mines of the times (Oxford University. 2013. 66(2)). Workdays of 13 to 14 hours where common in children ages 7 and up (Hutchins, Hariison, 1911:25). These long hours were accompanied by poor working and living conditions. Up to 80 children stayed in one room and this lead to health problems as it made it possible for ilnesses and fevers to spread quickly (Hutchins, Hariison, 1911:11). Children also worked in poor ventilated areas (get reference). These long hours did not enable these children to get a proper education and prevented them from receiving moral guidance from spiritual leaders such those from religions (Hutchins, Hariison, 1911:10).
Children of the time relied on their ability to work as many lived in extremely poor households, Poverty being one of the biggest problems of the time (Oxford University. 2013. 66:421)). These jobs also provided children with the opportunity to develop skills that they would use later on in their lives to be successful in their professions (Hutchins, Hariison, 1911:6). Some of the most common jobs
for young boys of the time included: Coal mining, shoe making, iron manufacturing, brickmaking and working as a domestic servant ((Oxford University. 2013. 66:404))
Health and Morals of Apprentice Act (Hutchins, Hariison, 1911:16-17):
The first attempt made to improve the working conditions of children was brought before the parliament of the time by Sir Robert Peel in 1802.
This Act stated that apprentices (children up to the age of 12-13) should work no more than 12 hours an day and that the amount of hours worked by night should be gradually reduces until it was abolished completely. Apprentices should be provided with clothes once a year and proper sleeping arrangements should be made, with different rooms for different genders. Apprentices should also be able to visit church once a month and they should be instructed in reading and writing. These laws should be upheld by routine inspections. Peel stated that he saw these regulations not as laws but as an extension of the Elizabethan Poor
Laws.
This act was not successful however as this lead to reduced intake of apprentices as workers as machines were favoured for being less problematic. The question of why these laws were only being applied to children and no other workers as well was raised as well.
Factory Act (Hutchins, Hariison, 1911:24-258):
Robert Owen was an activist for better working conditions for children, working closely with Robert Peel. He instilled the points of the act of the at into his own factories. The final act that was passed in 1819 was based on Owen’s version. This act prescribed that only children 9 years and older could work and set the maximum amount of hours that a child younger than 16 may work at 12. In further years the act was adapted to include a 10 hour workday for all workers, as well as an bill that prompted to include a “normal workday”. The Factory Act was continually bettered throughout many years and evolved to include all workers- not only children- which lead to better working conditions for all people.